First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet

A complex and convoluted co-op simulation of humanity colonising the Red Planet, First Martians will leave you wishing you’d never left Earth. The first thing to know about First Martians is that there’s a good chance you won’t even be able to understand the rules straight out of the box. The included manual is so unwieldy and poorly explained, it’ll likely take you several hours and multiple readthroughs just to grasp the basics of how to do simple tasks – even then, building a rocket and flying to Mars yourself will probably seem the easier option. If you’re really committed to learning how to play, looking up a YouTube tutorial and reading through the additional 60-plus-page almanac released separately by the game’s creators as a remedy to the rulebook’s woes isn’t just recommended – it’s damn near compulsory.

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Masks of Nyarlathotep: One of roleplaying’s greatest adventures is back with a new edition for horror RPG Call of Cthulhu and an Eldritch Horror expansion. We look at the history of the revolutionary campaign and see what’s planned for its return
The 7th Continent: Co-creator Bruno Sautter talks to us about the epic choose-your-own-path card game and asks if it’s the end of the adventure
Hearthstone: The digital card game with Magic: The Gathering in its sights is taking on the dungeon-crawler in its latest expansion. But can an app really live up to the physical world?
How We Made: A Handful of Stars: Martin Wallace looks back on the creation of the final chapter in his deckbuilding trilogy
Educating with Evolution: University professors and students consider the brain-boosting benefits of board games
Reviews including:
Charterstone
Battle for Rokugan
Pandemic: Rising Tide
Fallout
Gaia Project
Genesys RPG
Legacy of Dragonholt
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle
Fog of Love
A Game of Thrones: Catan – Brotherhood of the Watch
First Martians
And much, much more!